Acceptance
by Wandering Dawn
Summary: "You should be proud of who you are, Lil. You may not have wanted to be there, but there was a reason you were. It made you successful and it made you who you are. And who you are is a beautiful young woman who is braver than you believe you are."


**AN; so this is quite possibly the longest oneshot i've ever written (9 pages!) and i'm rather proud of this one to be honest. :) please be nice and leave me some reviews? it really does spur me on to write more! **

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><p>Heavy rain pattered on the roof of the shed in the Potter's back garden. For some reason the rain always soothed him, especially when he got antsy around the full moon. It wasn't like he transformed, he just got really emotional. And a desire for blue steak. A pink tongue darted out from between red lips and licked at them, leaving them slightly chapped at the thought of a blue steak. Nothing on the side. Just the steak... perhaps some bacon... and lamb shoulder... Teddy shivered as his thoughts of attacking a lamb and eating it then and there entered his head. He hated the full moon. He hated that all he ever wanted to do was be violent, attack animals and eat. Usually he was much more controlled than this. He knew it wasn't his fault, it was the lycanthropy gene within him, the only thing he had inherited from his father. He sighed looking at the picture of his parents taped to the wall. He hoped they were proud of him, despite the mess that his life had become. Kicked out of his house, fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend all in the same week hadn't done wonders for his confidence. Moving back in with his godfather after not seeing him for years had been even worse. Harry, of course accepted him with open arms. But Teddy felt... Awkward. He had just turned up on their doorstep soaked to the bone, luggage in his hand and looked at Harry with tears in his eyes. Three weeks later and they had the get used to his mood swings around the full moon. It wasn't looking good for Teddy at all.<p>

He laid his head back on the pillows he had brought out to the shed and closed his eyes trying to tune out his negative thoughts. He should be happy, Lily was coming back to visit today, it was her eighteenth birthday tomorrow. Something to celebrate. Teddy thought keeping his distance would be a good idea, considering how likely he was to ruin the celebrations with his moods. But that didn't mean he couldn't see her today. He had bought her a gift and everything, despite being broke and out of a job.

A few hours later the rain still hadn't let up and Teddy was still locked inside the shed. A soft knocking at the door made him jump up and quickly undo all the locking charms he had placed on the door and open it. He didn't like to be disturbed here, but it was raining hard, they wouldn't have bothered him if it wasn't urgent. But when he saw it wasn't Harry he was surprised, and confused.

There she was, Lily Potter. All grown up since the last time he had seen her. Her slightly sun browned skin was dripping in water and her fiery red hair fell in knotted tendrils down her back, matted to the top of her head, tucked behind her slightly red ears from the biting cold. Her eyes shone brightly as she saw him and a smile graced her chapped ruby red lips, a perfect contrast to her almost orange hair. She was tall, beautifully so, with a slim body and legs that seemed to go on forever in her skinny jeans and blue polka-dotted wellington boots. Her raincoat hung loosely around her shoulders, open at the front to reveal a soaking wet black vest. Her smile grew wider as she watched him scrutinize her look.

Chuckling she said softly in a melodic voice, "Are you going to let me in or am I doomed to sit out here in the rain?" Teddy pulled himself out of his dream-like state and stepped aside, letting her come in. He once again, set all the locking charms before taking a seat on the blanket and pillows. He held out a towel for her to dry her hair with before she took out her wand and cast a drying charm on herself. "Much easier with magic," she smiled brightly at him again. He swears he's never seen anyone look so good after just coming in from a rainstorm. He gulped, nodding. "So, are you going to say anything or am I talking to a brick wall all afternoon? I just got home, I'd have thought you'd be hugging me by now, like you used to do when I was little." Teddy gulped again at the thought of hugging this... goddess in front of him. Four years could defiantly change someone into a completely different person.

"Sorry, Lil. I'm just... surprised. I haven't seen you in four years yet here you are, a completely different person. And that's a compliment by the way." He blushed softly as he spoke to her.

Lily laughed softly before jumping on him and tackling him to the floor in a big hug. "Oh, Ted, I've missed you so much!" when she let him go and sat back on her heels their faces were inches apart, her hair was still slightly wet, hanging in loose curls around one side of her face. She looked absolutely perfect.

"I missed you too," he mumbled softly, trying to get his mind off the beautiful woman in front of him. "My little Slytherin all grown up." He saw her blanch slightly when he mentioned her previous Hogwarts house. Teddy had thought she had been proud of her school house, apparently he had been wrong. "Bet you're glad to be out of Hogwarts, huh?"

"You have no idea! Seriously, that place was hell in my last year. I tell you, if I didn't have student hunting me down for freaking potions it would have been a lot easier. It turns out, once you're hooked on hallucination potions, you get a little nasty. Dodged a few nasty curses in the corridors I tell ya."

"Why were they badgering you?" he asked suspiciously. "Were you brewing an illegal potion?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I invented the potion actually. I became rather good at potions. Thankfully, considering it's now my job. I'm currently working on a variation of the wolfsbane potion. It's horrible to have to actually run the tests, but I feel like I'm getting somewhere." She smiled genuinely in Teddy's direction, making his heart skip a beat. "So anyway, what're you planning to do about your job?" She looked sympathetic.

Teddy was about to answer when a gust of wind suddenly came through a crack in the door, causing Lily's scent to drift towards him, where his werewolf's heightened smell instantly picked out blood and fresh, sweet flesh. He stared at the vein in her jugular for a moment, huger in his eyes. Lily saw the sudden change becoming a little scared at the way his eyes went black and he licked his lips hungrily.

"Ted?" she asked quietly, as if trying to decipher what was going on in his head. She found him leaning closer to her, towards her neck. "Ted," she said again, fear evident in her voice. There was a reason she wasn't a Gryffindor, she had no bravery and she was a coward. His blood thirsty tongue darted out and licked the skin just where the vein in her neck was. Lily moaned softly at the sensation that travelled through her. "Wha-" She gasped in horror as she felt his teeth on her neck, digging in sharply. Finding her strength she pushed him away from her before putting her hand to her neck, making sure there was no blood there. She didn't want to have the lycanthropy gene in her. She looked at him in horror as his eyes widened, realising what he had done.

"Oh god, Lil I'm so sorry, I never meant for that to happen." He flushed a deep red from his hair right to where his t-shirt met his chest. It was clear he was embarrassed, and probably a little scared. But that was nothing compared to how Lily felt. She was shaking slightly in fear, knowing how close she had been to being bitten by someone with lycanthropy. Even if it wasn't prominent in him, it didn't mean he wasn't a carrier and so could make it prominent in others. Teddy reached his hand out towards Lily's but withdrew it quickly as tears formed in her eyes.

"Let me out."

"Lil, please, you have to know that this has never happened before, I don't understand..."

"Let me out, please." She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She was too scared. She shuffled over to the corner of the shed, next to the door, ready to bolt as soon as he opened it. She didn't even think to use her own wand, keeping her eyes trained in him in fear. He frowned pushing himself to the opposite corner of the shed. He hoped she would feel a little more relaxed by the space between them.

A knock at the door broke them from their tense silence a few moments later as Harry entered at the flick of Teddy's wand. "Special orders for the werewolf," he said cheerfully, not taking in the scene in front of him. Lily quickly jumped up and ran, as fast as her legs would carry her, back to the house. Harry looked at Teddy curiously. "What was all that about?"

The metamorphagus could feel his skin beginning to heat again as he blushed, totally mortified. But also with regret. "I almost bit her," he whispered so low it was a miracle the older man heard him. A hard glare emitted from Harry as he realised what that would have meant for his daughter.

"Stay away from her whilst the moon is near. I don't want her in danger." Teddy nodded agreeably before taking his steak from Harry and biting into it without using cutlery. Harry then left him alone, knowing Teddy would not be happy unless he was alone at the full moon.

[x]

Lily sat at the kitchen table with her hands shaking and small jolts of pleasure still erupting under her skin from where he had licked her. She shook her head not understanding her own thoughts. He was Teddy. Practically her older brother. That would be so wrong, so incestuous. Not to mention the fact that he almost tried to rip her throat out. She shivered again, but not in fear, in want, need, lust. If she was truly honest, she had enjoyed the way he had bit her. She knew there would probably be marks on her skin. Not a love bite... but she could pretend. If only for a little while. Harry came through the kitchen door at that moment, drying himself off with his wand and gazing at her worriedly. A small smile from Lily was all Harry needed to know that she was shaken up from the ordeal. He took her in his arms and held her to his chest whilst she let a few silent tears fall from her eyes.

"I was so scared," she whispered into his robes. He nodded understanding her fear.

"It's okay, he didn't mean to... and he won't be going anywhere near anyone again for a few days. It's my fault really, I held off feeding him because of the rain."

Lily giggled softly. "Dad you make him sound like a common dog."

"Well he just bit you didn't he?" Harry chuckled also. "He needs feeding three times a day, he needs to walk and he sleeps in the shed on a full moon." Lily giggled more and pulled away with a brighter smile on her face.

"Will he be okay? The lycanthropy seems to be getting worse within him... do you think it's because he's older?"

"I don't know Lil, but it might be worth getting him to drink wolfsbane if it does get any worse. But honestly, I think he will be fine. This is Teddy, he always bounces back from anything thrown at him. He's a true Gryffindor." Lily's face fell at that, she knew her parents didn't approve of her being sorted into Slytherin. She was supposed to be their little Gryffindor, their brave little girl. Yet she was their deceptive little bugger, as they had put so many times during her last summer at school. It wasn't her fault she liked to brew potions in her room. She hadn't been concentrating and almost blew the whole house up. Harry sensed her change of mood instantly. "Lil, I'm so proud of you no matter what. I don't care about your school days, the only thing I care about is that fact that you're happy, successful and completely and utterly my little girl, no matter how old you get. I don't care that you're not always as brave as your brothers, you're special in your own little way. And you're the only Potter to ever be talented in potions. So I think that's an achievement in its self." Lily smiled again and hugged her father tightly.

"Thankyou, Daddy."

"Now," Harry said pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Tell me about what's been going on whilst you've been away." Lily smiled launching into a story about her job at the Ministry.

[x]

Teddy's body was writhing around on the floor of the shed as white hot pain shot through his head and down his back. His voice involuntarily howled, whimpered, screamed in protest. He called out for his deceased parents, his far away aunt, his godfather... anyone who could stop this pain that he had never felt before. Sobbing he grabbed his head and curled into the foetal position, letting a blood curdling scream emit from deep within his chest. A scream that carried all the way to the house, that woke up a certain terrified red head. Casting a surveillance charm on her bedroom wall she watched Teddy for a moment, making sure he wasn't going to transform before grabbing her raincoat and wellingtons. She didn't care she was in the skimpiest pair of black silk shorts and white vest, all she cared about was getting to Teddy, helping him out of his pain, being there for him.

She held her wand tightly in her hand as she ran through the pouring rain, again not bothering to zip up her coat or pull her hood over her head. After casting various unlocking charms she managed to get the door open and shut it again behind her, casting a quick drying spell on herself. Teddy was still in the same foetal position, screams still ripping from his mouth. Lily cringed at the amount of pain he was in before saying his name and dropping down in front of him on her knees. Teddy looked up at her with fear and pain evident in his eyes. He closed them tightly again, his face contorting with the excrutiatingly unbearable pain. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ted, it's okay, it's gonna be okay." He sat up a little as the pain lessened for a moment before taking a hold of him again, making his limbs spasm out of control. Sweat beaded on his forehead causing his hair to stick to him in soggy tendrils. Slowly and tenderly Lily reached out and brushed his hair away from his face, feeling the clammy sweat that had rested there. Silently she conjured a flannel and a bucket of cold water. She pushed Teddy down to the floor on his back, slowly removing his shirt to stop the clamminess from spreading, gasping when she saw a slight smattering of fur lining his chest. She began to get scared as shudders ran through his body again. Moving to his head, she laid it in her lap whilst running the, now damp, cloth over his sweaty skin.

"Lily..." he ground out, "I'm so sorry... for... today."

"Shhh... don't talk if it hurts. I don't care, Ted. It's clear this is getting worse for you. It wasn't your fault." She lovingly caressed his face, running her free hand through his hair. "It's going to be okay, Ted. I'm gonna find a cure for this. I know I will." Teddy was about to respond when he finally passed out from the pain. He went limp in Lily's arms, making her panic slightly until she found his increased pulse. "It's going to be okay, Ted. I promise."

[x]

Harry came to the shed in the morning to check on Teddy and found him with his head on Lily's lap, her head resting against the wall with a flannel in her hand and a worried look on her face. He gently shook her shoulder. "Lil?"

She awoke with a start, looking around, her eyes finally resting on Teddy. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realised the fur had gone and he was no longer running a fever. Finally, she met her father's concerned eyes. "I couldn't leave him alone dad, he was screaming and howling. I made sure he hadn't actually transformed. I promise, I wasn't that reckless." Tears began to gather in her eyes as she stared into her father's green ones, so like her own. "It's getting worse dad, he's beginning to transform... he had fur last night... fur for Merlin's sake!" Harry's eyes suddenly turned worried as they landed on his godson.

"Well, that was the last night of the full moon, but he's often still a little jumpy afterwards. I've never heard of this happening. Actually, as far as I know, Teddy is still one of a kind."

"I'm gonna help him, Dad. I'm gonna help them all. It's not about it being painless anymore. It's about stopping it all together. But... I think it's important in the time being that Teddy takes wolfsbane. Just to make sure he doesn't hurt any of us." Harry nodded in agreement, his heart going out to his daughter. He knew how close her and Teddy were when they were kids. She had been devastated when he had moved away and now, here she was, swearing she was going to stop him becoming a fully fledged wolf.

"Lil, can I ask you something?" She nodded, keeping her eyes on Teddy. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I love him, we practically grew up together."

"No, I mean... are you in love with him?"

He didn't miss the way her shoulders stiffened slightly and her hand slowed on his forehead. She didn't answer right away seeming to mull over the idea in her head. "Like I said... we grew up together." He shook his head knowing the true answer. But he dropped it. She would talk to him when she was ready. He just feared for her well being.

"Well, come up to the house when you're ready. Your mum is talking about chocolate chip pancakes for the birthday girl." They smiled at each other before Harry walked out, leaving Lily and Teddy alone together.

[x]

That night, after everyone had left the festivities, Lily returned to her room feeling exhausted, ready to collapse onto her bed and fall into a dreamless slumber. Tiredness had taken over her before she realised that there was a certain werewolf sat on her bed, watching with quiet amusement as she walked towards her bed with her eyes closed and fell on top of him, yelping in surprise as he held onto her. "Well, good evening to you too," he chuckled. "I never thought I'd make you fall for me Potter." She slapped his chest softly with a sheepish smile on her face, but she didn't contradict him. He instantly became serious. "Lil, about last night-"

"No, Ted, don't. You needed me, I was there for you. That's all there is to it. There's no ifs or buts it's just what it is. And don't beat yourself up about yesterday afternoon either. I've forgiven you. You need to forgive yourself."

Teddy nodded slowly, his arms getting slightly tighter around her waist. "Thankyou," he whispered softly. She nodded, not quite meeting his eyes. "Happy eighteenth, Lil. I'm sorry I didn't come in for the party today." She shook her head, unable to voice her thoughts. "I got you a gift..." he pulled a small wrapped gift from his pocket. The green paper with a silver bow made her blanch slightly as she looked at it. She hated that she could still be associated with a stupid school house. "Hey," he took her chin softly between his fingers, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "You should be proud of who you are, Lil. You may not have wanted to be there, but there was a reason you were. It made you successful and it made you who you are. And who you are is a beautiful young woman who is braver than you believe you are. You are an inspiration, determined, you are like a bird in flight who may never come down. You are you. You are wonderful."

Lily felt her heartbeat quicken as she felt the need to lean up and press her lips to his, to show him how much those compliments held for her. Instead, she nodded slowly and took the package with shaking hands. Slowly she slid her finger through the opening at a corner and slit the paper, pulling it away to reveal a small box that held a snake and a lion intertwined embossed on the front. Biting her lip, she slowly pulled the lid up and gasped as she saw what was inside. Taking out the intricately weaved charm bracelet she examined the multiple charms on it, a silver snake, a golden lion, a crystal heart and a tiny wooden wolf. Struggling to find words she looked up at Teddy with tears in her eyes.

"You like it don't you?" He looked worried for a moment until she gave it to him and held out her wrist, still unable to say anything. With fumbling fingers he clasped the beautiful bracelet around her small wrist. He smiled softly at her. "It suits you."

"It's beautiful... thankyou," she whispered, finding her voice.

"Just like you," he said with a cheesy grin.

Lily hit his chest again with a giggle. "You're so clichéd!" All awkwardness gone from the situation she hugged him tightly. "Thankyou, Ted. I love it, I really do." Teddy pulled back with a smile before leaning down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. She gasped, unresponsive for a moment as she felt a slowly increasing burning running through her lips, through her skin where his hands met hers, going straight to her brain, leaving her incapable of registering anything but the burning fire in her skin. After a few moments her hand came up to cup his cheek softly as she kissed him back, the burning increasing again, causing reactions that Lily hadn't had in a long time.

Pulling away for air Teddy rested his forehead against hers, a wide smile on his face. His lips met her forehead, not wanting to ruin the moment with words. Lily's eyes fell closed, enjoying the feeling of his lips against her skin. "I think," he murmured against her hair, "that I'm falling for a beautiful girl who doesn't realise just how special she really is. I just wish I was good enough for her."

"You are," she whispered back. "You are good enough, Ted. Nothing else matters but your heart, and you have one of the biggest I've ever seen." Teddy smiled capturing her lips again. The kiss was full of whispered promises and well kept secrets. His tongue seared through her lips, finding her own, making it feel as though it were on fire. She felt herself being lowered to her sheets as her drowsiness took her over again. He pulled back, placing one more soft kiss on her cheek before pulling back completely. She whined softly before closing her eyes and falling instantly into a limboed slumber, not wanting the moment to end, but needing sleep to overtake her body.

"Sleep, Lil. You had a long day and night. I won't be going anywhere. I promise." Lily smiled and allowed sleep to finally take over her body, falling into a peaceful slumber filled with dreams of hot passionate kisses with chapped red lips. Teddy watched her sleep, mesmerised by the rise and fall of her chest, the way she moved to her left side and stuck one leg out of the covers and the way her eyes flickered every so often, like they were closing in her dreams. He lowered himself into her covers and turned to face her back, still watching the rise and fall of her muscles. After a few moments she turned again and placed her left hand upon his chest, the bracelet adorning the wrist shimmering in the moonlight. Her head came to rest on his shoulder and his arm wound its way around her shoulders, tangling his hand in her fiery red curls. He let his other hand fall on top of hers and allowed himself to close his eyes, drifting off into the most peaceful sleep he'd had in years. That was the position Harry found them in the next morning, a huge smile on his lips as he watched his daughter and godson finally accept their feelings for one another.


End file.
